July 14, 2014

Knowsley to benefit from £9.6m investment to boost road infrastucture

Knowsley’s road infrastructure is set to benefit from £9.6m of investment, as part of the Growth Plan for the Liverpool City Region.

The Government announced earlier this month that the Liverpool City Region Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) had been awarded £230m Growth Fund. Overall, this funding will help to support over £500m of additional investment in the Liverpool City Region, potentially enabling over 30,000 new jobs.

Included in the Growth Plan is investment to improve access and road safety into Knowsley Industrial Park (£5.6m) as well as improvements to A5300 Knowsley Expressway (£4m) to help maximise the benefits of the New Mersey Crossing and access to Liverpool Airport.

The funding will be used to improve access and connectivity around Knowsley Industrial Park (KIP). This will include access improvements to all parts of the park both by private vehicle, public transport, walking and cycling routes, as well as improved signage. KIP is ideally placed in terms of its location to motorways, rail freight terminals, Superport and two international airports and these improvements will benefit both existing businesses as well as enhancing KIPs appeal for new investors.

The plans for the A5300 / A562 junction will result in increased capacity on this major road network. This increased capacity will not only help to improve journey times for road users but it will also help to support other major schemes across the City Region including the Superport and Mersey gateway.

The £9.6m investment for Knowsley forms part of a £46.6m allocation for the Liverpool City Region which will directly support the City Region’s freight and logistics hub ambitions.

Both schemes are currently in development with delivery expected in 2015.

Cllr Dave Lonergan, Cabinet Member for Regeneration, Economy and Skills said “This is fantastic news for both Knowsley and the wider Liverpool City Region. The two Knowsley schemes will not only help to investment into the borough, but will also provide a range of job opportunities. Both schemes will help to ensure greater connectivity into and out of the borough and will we continue to work hard and attract further investment, businesses and jobs into the area.”